Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 | ART-1310-VO01 - Digital Photography I

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

David Southwick
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Dana Lee

General Education Requirements

VSCS Arts & Aesthetics

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Students will explore the mechanical and electronic aspects of digital photography as well as the basic tools of image manipulation. The course also includes the study of design, composition, and aesthetics of digital images. Basic computer skills are required.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify and describe the basic functions and components of a digital camera.
2. Review the differences and similarities between digital and traditional photography.
3. Explain mechanical and electronic aspects of digital photography.
4. Discuss and give examples of principles of composition, design, lighting, and aesthetics in photographic images.
5. Describe and demonstrate the use of various tools of electronic image manipulation, such as selection tools, dodge-and-burn tools, brightness and contrast controls, filters, paint tools, cloning tools, sharpen and blur tools, and the smudge tool.
6. Create, transfer, and store digital images while demonstrating an understanding of the relationship between file size and image quality.
7. Examine, discuss, and critique artwork, including references to diverse art historical, social, and cultural contexts.
8. Critically examine socio-cultural biases and influences represented in major and minor trends in photography.
9. Investigate the messages and meanings of photographic expressions as a vehicle to positively impact social change and explore aesthetic traditions.
10. Design and complete individual projects.
11. Create a portfolio of digital images and display finished works in a professional manner.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Evaluation Criteria

The total of your weekly assignments will count for 70% of your grade. Your weekly assignments are graded according to A) how well you met the objectives of the assignment - 80%, B) your written reflection of each assignment - 10%, and C) your critique of other students' work - 10%.

Your final project will count for 30% of your grade. I will provide a rubric that corresponds to the objectives of this project.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Discussion Forum Guidelines

1. There will be two discussion forums each week. You must post at least ONE response in EACH forum by the assigned due date. You are also expected to reply to at least TWO responses in EACH forum. This brings your total number of required posts for the week to six, which includes your photography assignment. Your first response to the reading discussion forum is due each Thursday. Your replies to other students in the reading discussion forum are due on Monday. Your weekly photography assignments are also due on Saturday, and your critiques of two other students assignments are due on Monday.

2. Weekly assignments will be marked down 10% if they are turned in on Sunday and 20% if they are turned in on Monday. Posts made to the reading discussion forum must be made on time to receive full credit. Late posts and replies to the reading discussion forums will be marked down by 10% per day until they are submitted. No assignments or posts will be accepted after Monday of each week.

3. You are highly encouraged to type your responses and replies in a word document before posting them. This will ensure that your hard work does not disappear if the CCV site should timeout. We’ve all been there.

4. Proofread your responses and replies for clarity, grammatical errors, etc. The goal of the discussion forums is to create a space for meaningful dialogue. Coherence is the key. And, for the sake of everyone’s sanity, please refrain from using all caps and text-speak.

5. It is almost certain that you will encounter opinions that challenge your ideas of taste, design, life, etc. If you do not agree with someone, politely articulate your position, but try not to shut down the conversation. We are all here to learn from each other.

6. Although it should go without saying, purposefully offensive postings are not tolerated and will be removed immediately.

7. The way to get the most out of critiques and discussions is to be as honest about your process as you can be. It’s the most direct path towards recognizing your strengths, weaknesses, and how you can improve.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Weekly modules run from Tuesday morning to Monday evening at midnight.

Posts to the Assignment forums are due by Saturday. Work turned in on Sunday will be marked down 10%. Work turned in on Monday will be marked down 20%. No work will be accepted after Monday of each week.

Posts to the Reading Discussion forums must be made by Thursday of each week. Your replies to your colleagues must be made by Monday of each week. Late posts and replies will be marked down by 10% each day until they are posted. No posts or replies will be counted after Monday of each week.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity